WSJ: OLED screens could be coming to the next iPhone

The OLED-toting Google Pixel (left) next to the iPhone 7 Plus' LCD panel.

Ron Amadeo

The iPhone 7 is just a couple of months old, which means that we are due for a fresh round of rumors about next year's model. Today TheWall Street Journalreports
that Apple is testing out "more than 10" different
prototypes—presumably this includes not just next year's phone, but
prototypes for phones beyond that as well as some that will never see
the light of day—and that at least one of those prototypes includes a
curved OLED screen.

OLED screens are more expensive than
equivalent LCDs, but they offer faster refresh rates and better
contrast. They can also be made thinner than LCD displays since they
don't need separate layers for things like backlights or liquid crystal.
Apple has always used LCD screens in its iPhones, but the company has
reportedly asked suppliers like LG, Japan Display, and Sharp to submit
prototype OLED displays for consideration.

OLED technology had lots of early teething
issues, including poor color accuracy, greenish or purplish whites, and
bad outdoor visibility, but many of those problems have been solved or
substantially mitigated in recent years. In-depth analyses like those from DisplayMate have given top marks to the OLED screens in phones like Samsung's Galaxy S7 and the now-discontinued Note 7.

The report also includes quotes from suppliers
that are hesitant to expand their investments in OLED because of fears
that it won't be a large market, though the industry has been slowly
marching in that direction. Android phones—especially, but not
exclusively, those from Samsung—have used OLED for years, and OLED
screens are a requirement for phones looking to use Google's new
Daydream VR spec. OLED TVs aren't cheap, but they're steadily becoming
more available. We're beginning to see OLED PCs, though they're coming in fits and starts; burn-in and longevity are serious concerns. And wearables like the Apple Watch often use OLED screens to save power, since those devices need to run for a day or two with the smallest battery possible.

The WSJ
estimates that the mobile LCD market generated $20.8 billion in revenue
last year, compared to $10.6 billion for OLED screens. Apple switching
to OLED could substantially shift that balance.

The iPhone 7 got a new model number this year,
but its design and display are still broadly similar to the iPhone 6
and 6S that preceded it. Its antenna lines have been tweaked, its
headphone jack has been removed, and its camera lens bump has gotten
larger (particularly on the 7 Plus, which now includes two lenses), but
it was nowhere near as drastic as the change between the iPhone 4S and
the iPhone 5, or the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 6. The upgrades were
primarily internal, something more common in "S-year" phones. Even
before the iPhone 7 was officially announced, rumors said that 2017's
iPhone would feature a more drastic redesign—an OLED display could be a
part of that.

WSJ: OLED screens could be coming to the next iPhone
Reviewed by Chidinma C Amadi
on
12:49 AM
Rating: 5